How difficult (how many hours) to sync carbs?

Re: How difficult (how many hours) to sync carbs?

by Garrett Wysocki » 7 years ago

Garrett Wysocki

1 572 1.45k

I can do it by myself in about 45 minutes if the carbs and everything else is in good shape. Use the mechanical gauges (Roger Lee was right about that) and with practice/experience you will figure it out. It is a lot easier than learning to fly.

Re: How difficult (how many hours) to sync carbs?

by Alex Morrison » 7 years ago

Alex Morrison

21 46 62

Like Garrett says if everything else is in good shape the job can be done well within an hour on an aircraft you are used to, even on your own. I have learnt the hard way from working on a number of different aircraft to NOT TOUCH ANYTHING before you have had a good look over the systems to check all is how it should be (or not) before disconnecting/ changing things.

Check for normal operation first (ie. full travel of the throttle cables from stop to stop on both the carbs AND in the cockpit) before disconnecting the cables so you have a reference for how it was set up before. Mark the throttle cables at the pinch point as you disconnect them. Also, visually compare the carbs and throttle cable lengths (including the cable excess) on both sides for any differences/ damage which might give you unexpected problems when trying to mechanically set them up. It will drive you potty when the Rotax sequence you are following to the letter doesn't seem to be working and you can't for the life of you work out why until... days later you realise a past owner has done a nifty little 'modification', or you spot that something important on one carb is bent that until you tried to put everything back together again went totally unnoticed!!

Watch the Rotax-owner.com videos over and over and over again as these are absolutely fantastic. I use the 'Carbmate' sync tool which is very easy to use.

The hardest part I struggle with is getting the rubber hose on the end of the compensation tube to come off the inlet manifold bent tube. Even with warming the hose up I always find this a battle. I'm sure there must be a knack to this but I have not yet learnt it.

Although it is possible to pneumatically sync the carbs on your own it is much easier, safer and an all round more pleasant experience having another person in the cockpit on the throttle control (and the mags).

With a carb balancing tool that you understand and trust and on your own aircraft which you know the history of you will very quickly get the hang of it with a bit of practise.

Re: How difficult (how many hours) to sync carbs?

by bob Strakele » 7 years ago

bob Strakele

15 28 0

I have a 912 and own both carbmate and gauges. Generally two people 1 hour. The carbmate is super easy.

Re: How difficult (how many hours) to sync carbs?

by Roger Lee » 7 years ago

Roger Lee

131 5.38k 5.44k

With gauges and two people 10-15 minutes.
Plus you can't diagnose anything with the Carbmate or Syncromate and you need a power supply.
You can diagnose a lot of things with gauges and do it faster. Even the people in my last class decided gauges were the way to go.

---

Roger Lee
LSRM-A & Rotax Instructor & Rotax IRC
Tucson, AZ Ryan Airfield (KRYN)
520-349-7056 Cell

Re: How difficult (how many hours) to sync carbs?

by Garrett Wysocki » 7 years ago

Garrett Wysocki

1 572 1.45k

I switched because of what you said mechanical gauges after my Carbmate started to fail/go out of calibration and found I could fine tune the carbs much closer thanks again.